John Kenney, CPRC, CEO, Cotney Consulting Group - February 2026
Artificial intelligence has been getting plenty of attention in the roofing industry, most of it tied to lead generation, marketing, sales, estimating, bidding and office operations. That is where the early tools appeared and, naturally, those functions were the first to experiment with new technology. But anyone who has been around this business long enough knows the real test of any system happens on the roof, not behind a desk. Field execution is where projects succeed or fall apart and it is where the next wave of AI will make a noticeable difference. The question is not whether AI will reach the jobsite. It already has. The real question is how project managers, superintendents and foremen can use it in a practical, everyday way without losing control of their jobs or replacing the judgment they have spent years developing.
The first thing to understand is what AI actually brings to field operations. There is a belief in some circles that AI will somehow automate large portions of construction or make decisions on behalf of the field team. That is not the reality. Roofing projects are too dynamic, largely influenced by weather, building conditions, client behavior, manpower challenges and countless other factors that only surface once you are on site. AI cannot walk a roof, read the room during a tense scheduling conversation or look at a jobsite setup and immediately know that the material flow will slow production. Those responsibilities remain firmly in the hands of the field leaders. AI’s role is not to take over but to help these leaders see things earlier, faster and more clearly.
One of the most practical applications of AI in the field is its ability to process information and highlight patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed. Project managers (PM) juggle a tremendous amount of data every day: daily reports, photos, deliveries, weather issues, manpower changes, equipment concerns, safety reports and communication from the office and the client. Much of that information gets reviewed quickly and is then buried under the next wave of activity. AI doesn’t lose track of any of it. When used correctly, it becomes an extra set of eyes that never gets tired and never stops connecting the dots. A PM might upload photos from a day’s work and get an automated summary showing that production is drifting off pace compared to similar past jobs. It might flag a developing issue with staging or identify that material is being installed out of sequence. The PM still must make the call but now they can respond to potential problems sooner rather than discovering them weeks later.
Documentation is another area where AI is already making life easier for field teams. Anyone who has managed a roofing project knows how much time is spent gathering jobsite photos, naming them, organizing them and attaching them to reports. It is tedious work and is often pushed to the end of the day or the end of the week, when details are already fading. AI tools now automatically sort photos, recognize repeated locations, tag equipment, identify materials and pull images showing work completion. Foremen can speak into their phones and AI can turn their voice notes into structured daily reports. PMs can upload a stack of notes from a site meeting and receive a clean, organized summary in minutes. These tasks used to eat up valuable time. AI puts that time back into the hands of the field leaders who need it most.
AI applications are beginning to help with safety. No software can replace a strong safety culture or the foreman’s responsibility to maintain safe conditions but AI can support that effort with risk awareness. A foreman might take photos on the jobsite and receive automated suggestions highlighting potential hazards that warrant attention. PMs can receive weather alerts tailored to their active projects, including wind speed changes or heat index spikes that affect crew performance. AI can analyze safety reports across multiple jobs to identify patterns that suggest training gaps or recurring issues. Again, it does not enforce safety but it helps field leaders stay ahead of risk rather than reacting after the fact.
AI can offer support with production tracking. Most contractors review labor performance when the job is halfway finished or nearing completion and, by then, it’s too late to correct course. AI can take daily information from the jobsite and compare it with historical production expectations. If a specific task is falling behind or a particular crew is consistently struggling, AI will quickly identify that trend. The PM still needs to determine whether the issue is access, manpower, weather, staging or something else entirely. AI does not provide an answer but it eliminates the delay in recognizing the problem.
One concern many contractors have is whether foremen will resist technology. The key is to not overwhelm them. Their focus must stay on their crews, safety and the work in front of them. The best AI tools for the field are the ones that blend into their routine. A foreman snapping photos of completed sections. A quick voice note instead of typing a lengthy report. A reminder about the incoming weather that could impact tear-off. A simple prompt that helps prioritize tasks at the start of the day. When technology supports the work rather than interrupts it, foremen adopt it easily. They appreciate anything that reduces paperwork and helps them communicate more clearly with the office.
AI can also help project managers during punch list and closeout. Instead of flipping through hundreds of photos, AI can categorize incomplete areas, match them to previous images and generate a preliminary punch list for the PM to review. Warranty departments can use AI to compare service calls across similar buildings and identify recurring problems that may indicate a systemic installation issue. Closeout packages, which often take longer than contractors would like to admit, can be drafted more quickly with AI that organizes documentation, photos and reports into logical order.
At the end of the day, AI is not running the project. It is simply helping the people who do. The PM is still responsible for understanding the schedule, coordinating the workforce, communicating with the client and maintaining the project’s pace. The foreman is still accountable for quality, safety, productivity and the crew’s conduct. AI cannot replace leadership. It cannot replace experience. What it can do is expand field leaders’ awareness, reduce administrative burden and give them more time to focus on the core responsibilities that determine whether a job succeeds.
Contractors who want to bring AI into their field operations in 2026 should consider small, practical steps. Start by improving daily documentation habits so the data being fed into AI tools is clean and consistent. Introduce simple AI features – photo sorting, voice-to-report conversion or automated daily summaries – that make life easier instead of more complicated. Allow PMs and foremen to experiment without pressure. As the team gets comfortable, you can expand into predictive insights and deeper analysis. The value comes from consistent use, not from adopting the most complicated platform.
AI will continue to shape this industry just as smartphones, drones and digital takeoffs have. The contractors who benefit will be those who integrate technology without sacrificing the fundamentals that make roofing work. The future of field operations belongs to PMs and foremen who can interpret AI insights, apply them to real-world conditions and make decisions that keep projects safe, efficient and profitable. AI may enhance visibility and speed up information flow but the craft, the leadership and the responsibility remain with the people on the roof.
John Kenney, CPRC is CEO of Cotney Consulting Group, Plant City. He has decades of experience on commercial roofing projects, providing him with a unique understanding of what it takes to succeed in roofing – on the roof, in the office and at scale. John saw the need to provide contractors with strategic guidance built on real-world field knowledge. Cotney
Consulting offers COO on Demand, online training, technology solutions, business advisory consulting, collections, contracts, Castagra estimating training, safety and OSHA training. John partners with FRSA to provide educational seminars. For more information, contact John at jkenney@cotneyconsulting.com or 813-851-4173.